Tuesday, December 6, 2011

"If I Had a Trillion Dollars" Westside Youth Leaders Teach-in

Colleagues, attached are flyers for the December 12, 2011 youth event.

Thanks to all who have been participating in conversations about organizing a youth summit, in North Lawndale. Getting to know each of you and your organization I'm happy to be working with you to increase support for youth. This is critical because this community is part of a census area that has the highest youth unemployment and 7th highest overall unemployment, in the nation. Once the manufacturing hub for the region, North Lawndale and surrounding communities have lost 150,000 manufacturing jobs; and North Lawndale alone has lost 100,000 residents, since the early 1970s. Efforts to revitalize the community must include employment, including youth employment. To succeed in the future, our youth need more skills and education to compete with youth in a global economy that is increasingly connected by digital technology.

Many of you are training young people how to use digital technology. On December 12, 2011 we would like to invite interested youth and teachers to a "teach-in" about how public resources for youth employment, community violence and other issues of concern to youth are allocated and how youth can use their digital skills to attract more resources for these issues. The agenda:

4:00-5:15 Erin Polley, American Friends Service Committee will discuss the federal budgeting process and the 2nd annual "If I had a $Trillion" video contest whose deadline for submissions is January 15. Youth from around the country will submit short videos (3 minutes) about how they would use a trillion dollars to address youth employment, community violence and other issues of concern to youth. Winners will have the videos shown in Washington DC and will have the opportunity to meet with members of Congress to discuss their ideas.

5:15-5:30 Break

5:30-6:00pm Guest speakers from labor, universities and the community talk about how the city budget affects local schools and community

6:00-7:00 Youth discussions around what they've heard and solutions

Food (pizza, chips, soda, water) will be provided

Place:

Robert Crown Auditorium @ Family Focus, 3517 W. Arthington Street

Looking forward to working with you. The information from this teach-in will help young people participate in a meeting with State Legislators, including State Representative LaShawn Ford, who is sponsoring youth employment legislation and has asked us to join his efforts, starting with a meeting in Springfield, in late January. If you saw or heard about the "Waiting for Superman", documentary you know there is no Superman and we can't wait. Joining together to increase our skills and power; helping youth to become better advocates for themselves by learning and using digitial technology, is part of how we are going to revitalize the North Lawndale, and increase it's visibility in government and corporate offices that literally don't know where we are.